The Information Technologies and Communication Authority has published the 2020 Digital Games Report prepared by the "Safe Internet Center" regarding the gaming sector, which has grown and developed during the pandemic process. The report provides important information about the development of the digital gaming sector.
During the pandemic process that marked the year 2020, while the world went through a challenging period, the increase in people's time spent at home positioned the digital gaming sector among the sectors that are strengthening and growing day by day. The report shares information about the developments in this sector.
Ömer Abdullah Karagözoğlu, President of the Information Technologies and Communication Authority, stated in his remarks regarding the report: "As BTK, we want our young people to benefit from the opportunities of the gaming world and increase their productivity. In line with the National Technology Initiative, our state is ready to provide all kinds of support on this matter. We believe that Turkey will also take a leading position in digital exports."
Global Digital Gaming Sector
In the report, it is shared that the digital gaming sector reached 159 billion dollars with a 9.3% increase in 2020, also affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, and it is estimated that the digital gaming market will exceed 295 billion dollars by 2026.
According to the report, the digital gaming industry achieved the largest increase in the gaming market due to the COVID-19 outbreak through mobile games. Mobile games generated 77.2 billion dollars in revenue in 2020, securing a significant place in the digital gaming market.
Turkey's Digital Gaming Sector
The report states that the gaming sector in our country continued to grow in 2020 as in every year, and with the effect of the pandemic, there was a rapid growth especially in the mobile gaming sector this year, breaking a record with a 29% growth compared to the previous year. Additionally, it was announced that Turkish games receive twice as much interest as the global average, with an average download number of 759,470, and the number of game developer companies in Turkey has risen to 239.
According to the information provided in the report, in 2020, an average of 79% of adults in Turkey played mobile games, with 81.7% being women and 76.5% men; people confined to their homes due to the pandemic showed great interest in mobile games, and people spent more than an average of 4 hours a day playing games.
Awareness Efforts in Turkey on Digital Games
The report emphasizes that the Information Technologies and Communication Authority attaches great importance to digital games, and some of the studies conducted on awareness regarding digital games are expressed as follows:
- Events, symposiums, workshops, and trainings have been organized in coordination with associations, the Ministry of Family and Social Policies, the Ministry of National Education, and the Ministry of Youth and Sports on different dates under the theme of "Digital Games," providing recommendations and suggestions on the future of the gaming sector.
- Digital games that children can play safely have been designed on the guvenlicocuk.org.tr website. Additionally, the site contains various activities and e-book contents.
- The guvenlioyna.org.tr portal has been launched. The portal includes blog posts related to digital games, current news, scientific studies and reports, parental control tools, and reviews of popular games on the market.
- On the guvenliweb.org.tr portal, in the scope of awareness on digital games, there are presentations, guides and reports, as well as blog posts about digital games.
- Safe Internet Center Mobile Application (GİM): The GİM Mobile Application, from which the entire society can benefit, has been offered by the Safe Internet Center network of awareness contents on the internet. Through the application, access is provided to news, blog posts, and other resources containing information and advice on the internet and technology. Against the growing concerns of parents in finding and selecting reliable media contents for their children on the internet, information on reliable media contents that have passed the "Rating System" is also available in the GİM Mobile Application.
The 2020 Digital Games Report provides important information on many topics such as the Short History of the Global and Turkish Digital Games Industry, the E-sports Industry in the World and Turkey, Awareness Efforts in the World and Turkey on Digital Games, and Studies in the World on Rating of Digital Games.
You can access the 2020 Digital Games Report at guvenlioyna.org.tr (https://www.guvenlioyna.org.tr/galeri-detay/dijital-oyunlar-raporu-2020).